COLLECTING AND CLEANING SHELLS. 169 



a judge may in a moment discover the deception. This varnish- 

 ing system is carried to a great length by some, who have almost 

 every shell in their cabinets daubed over with gum arable, and 

 they all shine with great lustre, even although many of the shells 

 should themselves be dim in a natural state. 



Oiling shells has a wonderful effect in restoring their colours, 

 when obscured by tl)e surface being somewhat decomposed, and 

 of a chalky appearance. If not too much decomposed, the spots 

 and colours will have all their original freshness. Shells are 

 composed of animal matter and lime, and when they are decom- 

 posed, it is from the animal matter being set at liberty by the 

 action of some acid : consequently the application of oil, is a 

 substitute for the animal matter which they had lost. 



SIMPLE METHODS OF ARRANGING CABINETS. 



The most simple method of arranging cabinets, is, by cutting 

 white cards of the size you wish the boxes, (if they may be so 

 termed ;) then take a pair of steel dividers which are fixed with 

 a screw, and set them to the size the depth of the sides is wish- 

 ed ; place the card upon a piece of pasteboard, and draw the 

 dividers along the surface, one leg being guided by the edge of 

 the card ; press pretty hard so as to make a deep groove ; then 

 cut out the corners, and press up the sides, which will be found 

 to stand quite stiff; but if great nicety is wanted, a piece of pa- 

 per may be pasted on the corners. On the bottom of every box 

 should be written the name of the shell it contains, with its 

 country and habitat ; a reference to some author who describes 

 it ; and such other remarks as may be thought necessary. 



My friend Mr Nichol, Lecturer on Natural Philosophy, has a 

 remarkably neat method of preserving his shells, it is by attach- 

 ing conical or raised pieces of cork tp pasteboard ; these are 

 made to tit as nearly as possible the size of the apertures of 

 univalve shells, which completely prevents them from rolling 

 about in the drawers, and then it has this advantage, that the 

 «5hells can be taken in the hand and examined on all sides. 



Another plan adopted, is to attach all the shells to a piece ot 

 thick pasteboard, covered with white paper, so that two speci- 

 mens of each shell is required to show them to advantage, one 

 side to be turned up, and another down. They must be attached 



